Panel anchor and method

ABSTRACT

An anchor for anchoring panels for the construction of buildings is provided. The anchor comprises a backing, a retention plate, and a bracket. The backing and retention plate are attached to a strut of a building frame to be covered by a panel. The bracket is slidably connected to the backing. The panel is disposed overtop of the anchor and fastened to the bracket.

The invention relates to an anchor for anchoring panels for the construction of buildings and a method for anchoring panels. BACKGROUND

In the construction industry, panels are sometimes used to cover a section of a building. Such panels may be held in place by anchors, which may prevent the panels from lifting under certain weather conditions.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention provides a panel anchor and a method for anchoring a panel.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an anchor for anchoring a panel over a building section is provided. The anchor comprises a backing having a cross-section, a top, and a bottom, the bottom of the backing being releasably fastenable to a strut of the building section; a retention plate having shoulders at a first end, the retention plate being releasably fastenable to the top of the backing; and a bracket having at least one leg, the at least one leg shaped to mate with the cross-section such that the bracket is slidably receivable by and connectable to the backing, one end of the bracket being abutable against the shoulders of the retention plate, and the panel being releasably fastenable to the bracket.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a method for anchoring a panel over a building section is provided. The method comprises providing an anchor having a backing, a retention plate, and a bracket, the backing having a cross-section, a top, and a bottom, and the bracket having a top and at least one leg, the at least one leg is shaped to mate with the cross-section for slidable connection to the backing; securing the bottom of the backing to at least one strut of the building section; securing the retention plate to the top of the backing, the retention plate having shoulders at a first end; slidably connecting the bracket to the backing; abutting one end of the bracket against the shoulders; securing the panel to the top of the bracket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Drawings are included for the purpose of illustrating certain aspects of the invention. Such drawings and the description thereof are intended to facilitate understanding and should not be considered limiting of the invention. Drawings are included, in which:

FIG. 1 is an end view of an anchor for anchoring a panel;

FIG. 2 is an end view of two consecutive anchors in a system for anchoring a panel;

FIG. 3A is a side view of the anchor;

FIG. 3B is a top view of a retention plate of the anchor; and

FIG. 4 is an end view of a portion of a system for anchoring a panel on a slanted building frame or section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to represent the only embodiments contemplated by the inventor. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a comprehensive understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 3A and 3B, an anchor 10 for anchoring panels comprises a backing 20, a bracket 24, and a retention plate 22. As described in greater detail below, backing 20 is a component for connecting the bracket and retention plate to a structural support of a building section. Backing 20 may also function as a thermal insulator or barrier to minimize heat transfer between the bracket and the structural support. In one embodiment, backing 20 is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). In a further embodiment, backing 20 has a substantially T-shaped cross-section, which may include an overhang 26 forming a notch 28, on each side of the backing. The mid-section of the backing may further include reinforcements collectively designated 30 for providing addition support for the backing. In one embodiment, the backing is 6 inches in length, L. Backing 20 may be manufactured in various ways, including by extrusion.

As described in further detail below, bracket 24 provides a connection between a panel and the backing, the latter being securable to a structural support of a building section. In one embodiment, bracket 24 is made of aluminum. Bracket 24 may be manufactured in various ways, including by extrusion. In another embodiment, the bracket is approximately 4 inches in width W and has an inner angle A of 55°. In yet another embodiment, the bracket includes legs collectively designated 32, the shape of which is configured to mate with backing 20, such that the bracket interlocks with the backing when it is slidably received by the backing, and the bracket is slidably removable from the backing. In one embodiment, the legs 32 are shaped such that each leg 32 engages one of the notches 28 when the bracket is slidably received by the backing.

Retention plate 22 is fastenable to the backing and may interact with the bracket, as described in detail hereinafter. In one embodiment, retention plate 22 is made of aluminum. In a further embodiment, the retention plate is 3 mm thick. Referring more specifically to FIGS. 3A and 3B, retention plate 22 is substantially rectangular in shape and includes shoulders 23 at one end (“the shoulder end”). In one embodiment, retention plate 22 has apertures collectively designated 36 in its midsection for attachment to backing 20.

As those skilled in the art can appreciate, the bracket, backing, and retention plate may be of other suitable dimensions and may be made of other materials.

When the anchor is assembled, retention plate 22 is attached to backing 20 and bracket 24 is in sliding connection with the backing and the retention plate. The retention plate may be attached to the backing in a number of ways, as known to those skilled in the art. In one embodiment, fasteners 38 are used to connect retention plate 22, via apertures 36, to backing 20. Fasteners 38 may be screws, screws with washer and rubber seals, self-drilling fasteners, self-tapping fasteners, or the like. Bracket 24 is slidably interlocked with the backing and may cover or surround a substantial portion of the backing and the retention plate. When bracket 24 is interlocked with the backing, the shoulder end of the retention plate may extend beyond one end of the bracket and the shoulder end may be wider than the inner opening of the bracket so that the bracket may abut against shoulders 23. The retention plate has sides 25, which may or may not engage the inner surface of bracket 24. In one embodiment, retention plate 22 is sized to lightly contact the inner surface of bracket 24, when bracket 24 is in sliding connection with backing 20. The retention plate may function to prevent the bracket from deforming under stress and to offload tensile stresses from the bracket and/or the backing. When the anchor is assembled, the bracket is slidably interlocked with the backing such that the bracket can only be removed from the backing, without deforming either part, by sliding the bracket out of the end of the backing opposite shoulders 23.

The anchor may be used to anchor a panel 40 in the following manner. In one embodiment, panel 40 has a wave-like cross-section, which has alternating peaks 40′ and troughs 41. Panel 40 may be made of galvanized steel, aluminum, zinc, stainless steel, or other suitable materials. In a further embodiment, the panel is 1.3 mm in thickness; however, panels of other thicknesses may be anchored using the method described herein. The building frame or section to be covered by panel 40 has at least one intermediate structural support or strut 42 or similar structure for receiving backing 20. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3A, retention plate 22 and backing 20 are held together by fasteners 38, and fasteners 38 further attach backing 20 to strut 42. For a slanted or vertical building frame or section, the retention plate is preferably positioned to have the shoulder end of the retention plate closer to the ground than its other end (“non-shoulder end”), as illustrated in FIG. 4. Once the backing and retention plate are fastened to the strut, the bracket may be slid into the backing from the non-shoulder end of the retention plate, so that the backing and the bracket are slidably connected. For a slanted or vertical building frame or section, shoulders 23 abut against the bracket to prevent the bracket from sliding down due to gravity.

Once anchor 10 is assembled, panel 40 is placed on top of the anchor. In one embodiment, peak 40′ is placed over the anchor. The bracket may be shaped to mate with the underside of the peak, such that when the panel is placed on top of the anchor, part of the peak's underside is adjacent to or in contact with a significant portion of the outer surface of the bracket. The panel 40 is fastened to the bracket by fastener 36. Fastener 36 may be a screw, screw with washer and rubber seal, self-tapping fastener, self-drilling fastener, or the like. Panel 40 may be fastened to bracket 24 using fastener 36 at the peak 40′. The bracket may or may not be pre-punched with an aperture for receiving fastener 36. In one embodiment, panel 40 may be secured to the anchor with more than one fastener 36.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 (wherein fasteners are not shown), more than one anchor is used to anchor panel 40. In one embodiment, consecutive anchors are placed under adjacent peaks to secure the panel to the strut. In another embodiment, it is not necessary to have an anchor under each peak to secure the panel. For example, an anchor may be positioned under every second peak. The distance between adjacent anchors may be the same for the entire frame or section. A person skilled in the art can appreciate that there may be many different configurations of anchor placement, depending on the size of the area to be covered, the size of the panel, the distance between adjacent struts, etc. In a further embodiment, overlapping portions of panels are held together by fasteners or the like.

Referring to FIG. 4, panel 40 is anchored on angled struts 42. The anchors 10 are fastened to panel 40 at the peak 40′, as described above. In one embodiment, the edge of panel 40 is also anchored to the building frame or section. The building frame or section may include an end bracket or strut 50 for anchoring an edge of panel 40. In one embodiment, the edge of the trough 41 of panel 40 is fastened to end bracket 50 by a fastener 52. Fastener 52 may be a screw, screw with washer and rubber seal, self-drilling fastener, self-tapping fastener, or the like.

As a person skilled in the art can appreciate, panel 40 and the edges of panel 40 may be secured to any building frame or section in the above-described manner, whether the building frame or section is slanted, vertical, or horizontal.

The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to those embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the full scope consistent with the claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular, such as by use of the article “a” or “an” is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more”. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various embodiments described throughout the disclosure that are know or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are intended to be encompassed by the elements of the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. For US patent properties, it is noted that no claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 USC 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or “step for”. 

I claim:
 1. An anchor for anchoring a panel over a building section, the building section having at least one strut, the anchor comprising: a backing having a cross-section, a top, and a bottom, the bottom of the backing being releasably fastenable to the strut; a retention plate having shoulders at a first end, the retention plate being releasably fastenable to the top of the backing; and a bracket having at least one leg, the at least one leg shaped to mate with the cross-section such that the bracket is slidably receivable by and connectable to the backing, one end of the bracket being abutable against the shoulders of the retention plate, and the panel being releasably fastenable to the bracket.
 2. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the backing is made of extruded polyvinyl chloride.
 3. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the cross-section is substantially T-shaped.
 4. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the cross-section forms at least one notch, and wherein the at least one leg is engageable with the at least one notch.
 5. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the bracket is made of extruded aluminum.
 6. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the retention plate is made of aluminum.
 7. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the retention plate includes apertures for receiving fasteners for attachment to the backing.
 8. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the backing is fastenable to the strut by fasteners.
 9. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the panel is fastenable to the bracket by fasteners.
 10. A method for anchoring a panel over a building section, the building section having at least one strut, the method comprising: providing an anchor having a backing, a retention plate, and a bracket, the backing having a cross-section, a top, and a bottom, and the bracket having a top and at least one leg, the at least one leg is shaped to mate with the cross-section for slidable connection to the backing; securing the bottom of the backing to the at least one strut; securing the retention plate to the top of the backing, the retention plate having shoulders at a first end; slidably connecting the bracket to the backing; abutting one end of the bracket against the shoulders; securing the panel to the top of the bracket.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the panel includes alternating peaks and troughs, and wherein the panel is securable to the top of the bracket at an underside of the peaks.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the bracket is shaped to mate with the underside of the peaks.
 13. The method of claim 10, wherein the panel is securable to the top of the bracket by a fastener.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the bracket is pre-punched with an aperture for receiving the fastener.
 15. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one strut is slanted and wherein the shoulders are closer to the ground than a second end of the retention plate.
 16. The method of claim 10, wherein the backing is made of extruded polyvinyl chloride.
 17. The method of claim 10, wherein the profile is substantially T-shaped.
 18. The anchor of claim 10, wherein the cross-section forms at least one notch, and wherein the at least one leg is engageable with the at least one notch.
 19. The method of claim 10, wherein the bracket is made of extruded aluminum.
 20. The method of claim 10, wherein the retention plate is made of aluminum.
 21. The method of claim 10, wherein the retention plate includes apertures for receiving fasteners for attachment to the backing.
 22. The method of claim 10, wherein the backing is securable to the strut by fasteners.
 23. The method of claim 10, wherein the bracket surrounds a substantial portion of the backing and the retention plate.
 24. The method of claim 10, wherein more than one anchor is securable to the at least one strut and the panel is securable to the more than one anchor.
 25. The method of claim 11, wherein the underside of each of the alternating peaks is securable to at least one anchor.
 26. The method claim 11, further comprising securing an edge of the panel to the building section at one of the alternating troughs.
 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the building section includes an end bracket, and wherein the one of the alternating troughs is fastenable to the end bracket. 